State of New Jersey v. Alonzo Hill, ak/a Alonzo E. Hill, and Lonnie

Newark, New Jersey criminla defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with auto theft.



On July 29, 1994, defendant, who was twenty-four years old, and two co-conspirators, Tony Frazier and James Lomack, stole a car from the driveway of a home in East Orange, while its owner, Sandra McKnight, was unloading groceries. After forcing McKnight into the back seat, defendant got behind the wheel and began to drive away. Before he could, McKnight's husband arrived from the backyard, and defendant twice ran over him with the car. The three then drove away with McKnight held captive.



Defendant claimed McKnight started "bugging" as they drove, and his fifteen-year-old co-defendant, Frazier, threatened her with a gun and suggested they throw her out of the car. McKnight begged them to release her, but defendant declined to do so because he feared she would call the police. Defendant claimed he intended to steal another car and then leave McKnight in her car without the keys.





The three came upon a Saab in a driveway in Roselle with its engine running. Lomack got into the Saab and both cars drove off. The owner of the Saab, an off-duty Linden police officer, and his cousin gave chase in another car. During the ensuing high-speed pursuit, Lomack drew a gun and repeatedly shot at his pursuers. One of the bullets fired by Lomack grazed the officer's cousin and several hit their car. The chase ended when the officer lost the Saab as it turned onto the Garden State Parkway.



Defendant and Frazier drove to Newark to find Lomack. They killed McKnight approximately two hours after they abducted her and abandoned her car with her body in it. She died as a result of a single gunshot from a "[t]ech [n]ine assault weapon" that was held against her head when fired. Defendant and Frazier each claimed the other was the shooter. Several weeks later, Lomack was killed in a shoot-out with police in an unrelated matter. While investigating that incident, police linked Lomack to the McKnight murder, and then uncovered the role played by defendant and Frazier. When the police arrested defendant, he was in possession of the keys to the stolen Saab and a nine-millimeter handgun that was not linked to McKnight's murder.



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Legal issue Is a defendant entitled to re-sentencing on the grounds that their consecutive sentences constituted an illegal sentence when those arguments were previously raised and rejected on direct appeal?



Key Phrases Illegal sentence motion. Consecutive life terms. Kidnapping and carjacking. Attempted murder. Sentencing guidelines.

Affirmed